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Monday, December 18, 2006

"MEMS: Best-practice definition varies by vendor"

To hear vendors tell it, the only right way to do microelectromechanical systems is "my way." So, what method of fabricating MEMS is really best? Which is preferable: MEMS-first or MEMS-last? Are proprietary processes best, or should MEMS methods be able to run on any foundry line? Are different approaches better for different applications? All vendors agree that the holy grail is seamless integration of MEMS structures onto the same CMOS chips as the circuitry to which they interface. But only one MEMS startup claims to be there already, though that vendor adds a step to the standard CMOS fabrication process.
Text: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196603507